


Fear the Force

by danieru



Category: Star Wars
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Force Ghosts, Gen, M/M, Slow Burn, Star Wars - Freeform, The Last Jedi - Freeform, continued from the last jedi, more into reys past in the future
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-29
Updated: 2018-06-29
Packaged: 2019-05-30 05:25:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15089948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/danieru/pseuds/danieru
Summary: “You better start talking.” She demanded. Rey pointed to the closed door behind her “Who are those men? Why am I here?” Her temper flared and she didn’t let him answer either of those questions. “I told you never to contact me again.”Kylo Ren didn’t even flinch.“I did not call you here.” He said smoothly, “You did.”





	Fear the Force

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> Fear the Force takes place directly after The Last Jedi, and everything that happens in the movie is kept as canon. I am doing a bit of research on the lore of Star Wars as I write this fic, though some may be a little inconsistent with the entire canon and non-canon extended universe. Sorry in advance for any slip-ups I may make! I hope you enjoy Fear the Force.

_ A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away… _

_ Rey. _

She wasn’t sure how she got there, but there she was, standing in what looked like an old republic building. She didn’t know how she knew that the place she was currently standing in was connected to the Republic, she’d never been in this location before, but she knew by now to trust her instincts. 

The walls were made of faded tan stone contrasted with huge metal black doorways at her left and right. Matching stone pillars lined close to the walls, shooting up to support the tall ceiling. Rey had to physically tilt her head up to see the ceiling itself, which was a matching stone color. The tile was an expanse of grey and whites tiles. Nothing about the room was particularly special or regal looking, though Rey could feel something inside her, something that told her this place was no ordinary room, and there was a reason she was here.

Just as she began to examine the fine details, Rey was overcome with a sharp pang of sudden awareness. She’d heard something, she realized, something all too familiar. 

_ A lightsaber,  _ she thought,  _ a lightsaber just turned on. There are people here, and they’re about to fight.  _

Before she had the chance to feel a trickle of fear, she was on the move. All those years as a scavenger on Jakku had taught her that in the face of danger it was always better to be on the move. She darted to the nearest pillar and tucked herself behind it. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, steadying herself. It was then that she reached out, not with a hand but with her senses and feelings. With the Force. Then she could feel it, and she was suddenly very surprised that she had not been aware of it before. She could feel them, three strong presences within the large building where the sounds must have been coming from. Without thinking about it, Rey reached a hand down to feel for her own lightsaber. A pang of panic shot through her when she realized that it wasn’t there.

Rey cursed and closed her eyes once more, reminding herself to not be afraid. She was not defenseless, even though she was weaponless. She returned her focus to the sounds of the lightsabers, listening for a few seconds. She was just about to turn her head to look when she heard one of the sabers slash through the air, meeting the other with a squeal. A few months ago and she might have flinched or run, but Rey stayed tucked behind the stone pillar, trying to assess the situation further.

_ Is this what Master Luke would have done?  _ She asked herself, frowning. It was hard not to think about the man who was so legendary, and yet so mysterious. Leia had told her about how he had projected himself from Anch two, faced Kylo Ren, and then vanished, leaving what remained of the Resistance to flee.

_ Kylo Ren.  _ The name made her fume and saddened her at the same time. 

She pushed him, Leia, and Luke from her mind and began to listen to whoever was in the heat of battle at the moment. The sounds from the lightsabers were ripping into one another with frantic haste. Rey could immediately tell this was a complex fight, two against one, and they were all very experienced and skilled. Now she could hear footsteps, two pairs light and uneven and one powerful and rhythmic. They were running now, growing closer and closer towards her. Rey was suddenly glad that her preferred color was tan as she ducked down to a crouch behind the pillar. Rey held her breath and resisted the urge to close her eyes as three figures moved past her, still in the middle of a battle, leaving Rey unnoticed as they slipped through the door opposite to her, revealing a large room in stark contrast with the one she was currently in. Flashes of blue, green, and red whirred together, followed closely by the clashes of saber on saber. The red lightsaber was peculiar, unlike anything she had ever seen before. It resembled a full circle at times, then it came to a flat position and was a solid red line, only separated at the middle. She suddenly realized that his motions closely resembled her own when she fought with the junk rats in Jakku using her staff.  _ A double bladed lightsaber... _

Before Rey knew what she was doing, she got up and ran to the door, peeking inside to get a better look. It was ominous and black and almost entirely made of metal. A long and intricate bridge scaled the room, leading to another doorway. It reminded her of the landing dock at Star Killer Base when she’d escaped from captivity. She saw the three figures too, though one had been knocked to a lower ledge and was hanging by a hand, and was up again before she could call out to him. Somehow, she felt that she knew this man, though she’d no idea how.

The other two men were far ahead of the fallen one, their stride uninterrupted as they battled down the bridge. Rey wanted to help, wanted to join the men for some unknown reason, but as soon as she lurched forward the doorway slammed shut, almost taking off her nose. Rey gave a surprised yelp and ran into the doorway anyway

_ “Ow!”  _ She said, more irritated than in pain. She frowned, banging on the door as if it would activate it’s opening sequence somehow. After a while she gave up, looking the perimeter of the door over for some control panel or identification slot. 

Nothing.

Rey folded her arms over her chest and turned around, but froze when she saw who was behind her.

_ Kylo Ren.  _ She rolled her eyes. 

“Perfect.” She uttered to herself. She straightened up and placed her hands on her hips. “What are you doing here.”’

“Pleasant as usual, I see.” He said stiffly, “The same as you.”

Rey was about to retort, but she realized that she actually didn’t know why she was here. Or where  _ here _ even was. Kylo Ren seemed curious about their surroundings, but not surprised. Suddenly, she was extremely aware of how calm Kylo Ren seemed to be, and how suspicious she was of that fact. Rey fumed.

“You better start talking.” She demanded. Rey pointed to the closed door behind her “Who are those men? Why am I here?” Her temper flared and she didn’t let him answer either of those questions. “I told you never to contact me again.”

Kylo Ren didn’t even flinch.

“I did not call you here.” He said smoothly, “You did.”

Rey blinked, “Liar.” It was out of her mouth faster than she realized. To that, Kylo Ren only shook his head, his large scar moving slightly from side to side.

“Lying is for scared children, so either  _ you  _ are lying or you called out to me subconsciously.” He tilted his head, “Are you, by chance, sleeping?”

And then it was all over. Rey was suddenly yanked awake, torn from the tan room and the big, black doorway. Torn from Kylo Ren. She realized that he was right. _Well, partially right,_ she corrected herself. She was dreaming, though it didn’t seem like a dream. It was more important, more real. Rey shut her eyes and tried to burn the images into her brain. The rooms, the people, the lightsabers… and Kylo Ren. Why was he there? Was he _really_ there, or had she just dreamed he was?

Rey finally opened her eyes, looking up at the ceiling. Memories of how she got to this place rushed back to her. Once the ragtag team had left Crait on the Millenium Falcon, Rey quickly realized that General Leia Organa had all but spent her last ideas on what to do. She remembered the woman seeming distant as if her mind was a million light years away. Rey knew why, or course, and said nothing. Rey had no knowledge of any locations of rebel bases. She had only known about the ones she’d been on, the bases on Q’Dar and Cuait. 

That was when Rey had went to Poe and Finn. The two were practically inseparable now, and Rey had meant to ask how they’d come to know one another so well but never got to it. Still, she was happy to see Finn, and glad to meet the woman Rose who’d saved him on Cuait. She’d be lying if she denied feeling a slight twinge of jealousy at how close the three seemed to be, and how sad it made her to realize that she seemed almost a stranger to them all, all except Finn. 

Rey had asked the three if they knew any other bases, abandoned or otherwise, that might welcome a band of broken Rebels. After much searching, the three settled on a base located on the planet Krant in the Midrim. The base was nicknamed Ghost Base, and Poe explained that Leia had led a mission to recapture the base from the Imperials. The location and Leia’s familiarity with it made the base a good candidate for a landing point, and Leia accepted willingly when Poe presented the idea to her. 

Thanks to the superior navigation maps that the Millenium Falcon had in its repertoire, the journey only lasted a day and a half. Smuggler, resistance fighter, whatever Han Solo had been… his ship had impressive feats. Her ship now, she reminded herself. 

When they had arrived at Krant, Rey was again astounded by a mass of lush green. The planet was a vast expanse of wilderness, trees spanning across the planet in a thick blanket of leaves. There were oceans too, filled with scattered islands decorating the offshore. They arrived at twilight on the planet, and when they stepped out of the ship a harmony of birds singing to one another rang through the air. It was like nothing Rey had ever heard. It was the first time since her battle with Kylo Ren that she’d felt so much excitement. She felt a strange, thumping presence when she closed her eyes. Later that night, she asked Leia about the planet and learned it was home to two fallen Sith temples and a Jedi ruin. She swallowed, a shiver running down her spine.

They’d been there a few weeks now, establishing a hold of the place. The base was manned, though barely, and supplies were few and far between. The inhabitants of the base hunted regularly for food and bought fruits, vegetables, and grains from a nearby city. When the Falcon landed, they were expected and a landing spot was cleared for them. Medical attention was provided to those who needed it. They were fed and given water and a place to sleep. While the base was humble, it was far from the worst situation Rey had ever been in.

Today was the day that Rey had set aside to travel to the Jedi ruins. They were a few day’s travel by foot, and while the forests weren’t particularly full of predators Rey didn’t want to take any chances. The week prior she had taken it upon herself to fix one of the speeder’s the Ghost Base had on it. She was very grateful for her time on Jakku and her own old speeder, for the project might have seemed impossible otherwise. It was an ancient hunk of junk, but she had fixed it and had a whole day to spare.

Rey shivered when she got out of bed, reaching for her armbands that she’d flung across the bed frame the previous night. She got dressed quickly and gathered the material’s she’d prepared for herself the day before. A sack with food for the day, a canteen of water, a cloak in case of any rain, a blaster pistol in a holster, and her staff. The last item she wrapped around herself, then grabbed the holster and fastened it around her waist. She scooped the remaining materials up and headed out of the room she’d been assigned. 

The Ghost Base was a scattering of smaller buildings and outposts all crowded around a central building. Rey was assigned one of the smaller cabin-like structures along the perimeter of the base. She scanned the horizon, taking in the smells and sounds of the forest around them beginning to wake up. The sun had barely begun to peek out of the horizon. The two dual moons were  still glittering above, fighting for they’re last appearance last just before fading away for the day. Rey was used to waking up this early, she’d never been one to sleep too far into the day.

Rey knew that mostly everyone was asleep by now, though she couldn't be sure. She hadn’t told anyone except Finn where she was going that day. Though the General would probably not be completely opposed to the idea, she didn’t want any chances of her trip being delayed. She would probably have tried to send a few rebels with Rey for protection, but others would just slow her down. She kept her head lowered as she walked to the launch bay, hoping to enter and exit as quick as possible. If she left now, she could possibly be back by nightfall…

That plan was quickly blocked when she entered the launching bay. None other than Leia Organa herself was standing by the speeder Rey had fixed that week. Rey’s mouth fell open, then she promptly shut it, striding to the woman.

“General, good morning.”

“Indeed.” Leia replied, not unkindly, “Good morning, Rey.” She nodded down at the bike. “Did you fix this speeder?”

Rey nodded, and felt a twinge of pride when Leia smiled.

“Very good work. You know, you might be set on being a pilot, but I think your talents as a mechanic aren’t anything to scoff at.”

Rey shrugged, “You pick up a few things scavenging on a junkyard planet.”

“That you do.” Leia nodded, “Like sneaking off to check out a certain location?”

Rey expected that. The woman looked at her with a sort of amusement, like a mother who’d just caught their child snatching an extra cookie from a cookie jar.

“It would be wise to check the ruins out, General.” Rey said evenly, “There’s still much I need to learn, and without a teacher, my best option would be to learn at a place once sacred to the Jedi.”

Leia raised an eyebrow. “A place that is now a heap of rubble?” 

“If that’s all that’s available to me.” Rey wasn’t backing down. Her training had been cut short, and she knew the war was far from over. By the look on Leia’s face, she knew she’d won.

“Rey,” She paused, “I have to be honest with you. It is not the ruins that I’m worried about.”

Rey furrowed her eyebrows, waiting for the general to explain. Leia sighed before continuing.

“There are two standing structures on this planet not so far away from the ruins. An hour or so on a speeder easily. I don’t know how much my brother has taught you, but even abandoned temples are strong with the force. The temples here happen to be Sith temples.”

Rey had already been in a sith temple, she reminded herself, and she had not been seduced. She smiled at Leia.

“I’m not afraid, General.”

“No?” Leia said sharply, “Of course you’re not. You think you’re invincible, unseducable?”

“No one is invincible.” Rey replied, “And I’m stronger than you think.”

Leia blinked at her for a moment, then nodded.

“Alright. I know I can’t stop you.” She sighed, “Can I talk you into taking guards?”

Rey shook her head. “No, General. They’ll only slow me down.” She pat the speeder. “I’ve only got one speeder.”

“That seats two.” Leia retorted. “What if I command you?”

“General, please.”

Leia crossed her arms over her chest. “One guard.” 

“No.”

“Poe?”

Rey shook her head. “Please, we both know that he has resistance responsibilities he needs to do here.”

“Finn?”

Rey paused. Something about the look on Leia’s face told her that this woman would not give up. She knew that’s what made her an excellent general. Finally, she gave a brisk nod.

“Only Finn.”

Leia smiled, pleased with herself. 

“But I’m not waking him up and telling him.”

“No need.” Leia replied, “He’s waiting outside.”

Rey sputtered. “What?”

“Please.” Leia smiled sheepishly, “Rey dear, who do you think informed me of your excursion?”

A flush of anger ran through Rey, but before she had time to reply, General Organa had turned and began heading to the door. Rey took a deep breath, about to lead the speeder outside before General Organa turned and called to her once again.

“Oh, and Rey.” 

She raised an eyebrow.

“I forbid you from entering either of the two sith temples, under any circumstances.”

Rey shrugged, “Fine by me.” She hadn’t planned on going to them anyway. With that, Leia nodded and exited the launching pad.

Rey turned to lead the speeder outside. Her eyes met someone at the bay door, however. Two big, brown eyes trying to assess the situation.

“ _ You.” _ Rey said accusingly. “That is the absolute last time I let you in on my plans.”

Finn dropped his gaze to the floor. “Rey, please understand. We’re part of the Resistance now. We shouldn’t be keeping secrets, especially from the General. There are so few of us now…”

“I need this, Finn.” Rey said in frustration. “I need this or I will never be able to defeat the First Order.”

His eyes shot up at her “We.” He corrected, “ _ We  _ will never be able to defeat the First Order. You’re not on your own, you know.”

Rey was taken aback. She saw fire in Finn’s eyes, a sort of determination that was new to her. He wasn’t the boy who was going to run away anymore. He wasn’t afraid. She knew now that he had something to fight for, and it was much bigger than her. She sighed, knowing she couldn’t stay upset with her friend for long.

“I hate that you’re right.”

Finn smirked and a wave of relief seemed to ease his entire figure. Rey rolled her eyes fondly and climbed on the speeder.

“So are we going or what? I’m already half an hour behind schedule no thanks to you.”

Finn seemed to find that amusing and nodded, moving to the control center and switching a lever. The bay doors whirred to life and began to rise slowly, as if they hadn’t moved in centuries. Finn was at her side now, climbing on the speeder behind her. He had two helmets in his hands and gave one to Rey. She noted the thick coat of dust on the helmet and blew it off.

“When’s the last time you suppose someone’s used one of these?”

“Ten, twenty years ago?” Finn guessed.

Rey hummed in agreement and slid the piece over her head. Then she grabbed the handles of the speeder and smiled, “Hang on!”

In an instant, the two took off. The speeder thrust forward with a jerk and pummeled forward. It only took Rey a moment or two to get used to the controls. As they approached the edge of the camp, she set her coarse for the jedi ruins. Finn gave a whoop of excitement which made Rey smile.

Maybe it wasn’t so bad having him there afterall.


End file.
